Wooden window frames bring a sense of aesthetic beauty with them, but they are also prone to damage from harsh weather conditions. The good news is that small efforts can extend the shelf life of your wooden frames for a long time to come. Follow these steps to safeguard the wood on your window frames by re-doing the finish – whether you use paint or varnish.
Remove All Dirt And Debris From The Frame
Dirt, dust, and debris will hamper your refinishing efforts, so make sure you give the window frame a proper wipe down before undertaking any further steps. Use a damp cloth with liquid detergent and water to thoroughly clean the window frames, which will eventually make your re-finishing effort significantly easier.
Remove Loose Peels From The Existing Finish
Your next step is to strip off the existing finish using a putty knife. The putty knife or scraping tool is used to remove any loose peels from the existing finish following a scraping action. A putty knife or scraping tool is easily available at a hardware or home improvement store, and comes in handy for a variety of tasks.
Sand Down The Wooden Frame To Create A New Layer For The Finish
You will then need to use medium-grade sandpaper to remove the rest of the existing finish from the wood. Avoid using harsh sandpaper because gashes and cavities may form in the wood, which will create an unsightly appearance. This will remove most of the existing finish from the wooden window frame. You can then use fine-grade sandpaper to create a smooth finish for the wood. Wipe down the window frames once again to remove any dust that accumulated through the sanding process. Wait a few hours to give the window frames time to dry out completely.
Apply Water-Based Wooden Stain To The Window Frames
You will now need to decide whether you want to paint or stain the frame. If you're looking to enhance the natural look of your wooden window frames, then stain is a good choice for you. Water-based wooden stains are often considered the better choice over oil-based stains because they do not contain any toxic fumes and are stain resistant, while enhancing the natural grain of your timber frames. Water-based stains also dry faster, which means that your refinishing job will finish sooner.
Re-finishing wooden window frames every once in a while gives you the opportunity to protect them from harmful weather conditions… and reduces the need for repair or replacement costs in the long run.
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